Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Madrid on April 22

The 25th Laureus World Sports Awards will take place in Madrid, Spain on April 22, it was announced on Wednesday.

Many of the biggest names from the world of sport, past and present, will be present to honour the greatest sportsmen, sportswomen and teams from 2023.

Each of the winners will receive a coveted Laureus statuette, one of the most recognisable symbols of excellence in sport.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Palacio de Cibeles, one of Madrid's most iconic buildings, a statement said.

The Laureus Awards will celebrate the most memorable sporting performances of 2023, a year in which Madrid welcomed home the FIFA Women's World Cup winners after victory in Australia.

The Spain team, led by Aitana Bonmat, lit up a tournament that was one of the highlights of an incredible year in sport.

Also in 2023, Novak Djokovic moved to the front of tennis' golden generation, with only Alcaraz keeping the world No.1 from a clean sweep of the four Grand Slams by grabbing the Wimbledon title.

The World Athletics Championships featured showstopping performances from athletes such as Faith Kipyegon, Sha'Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson, Mondo Duplantis and Noah Lyles.

On the Formula One racetrack, Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing had a record-breaking season, securing both the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships.

At the Rugby World Cup, Siya Kolisi recovered from injury to lead South Africa to the pinnacle once more.

While this is the first time Madrid will host the Laureus World Sports Awards, it is the fifth time the event has been held in Spain, following Barcelona (2006, 2007) and Seville (2021 and 2022).

The Laureus World Sports Awards Show will also include the Laureus Sport for Good Award, which recognises an individual or organisation which has made a significant contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport.

Since its inception, Laureus has helped to improve the lives of more than six and a half million children and young adults, and now supports more than 300 sports-based community programmes around the world, fulfilling the visionary words of its founding Patron Nelson Mandela – 'Sport has the power to change the world'.

The winners of Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by the ultimate sports jury -- the 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today.